Sleepless in Midland

Happy Magna Carta Day 6-15-2021

It was only 800 years ago (roughly) that the Magna Carta was agreed upon and implemented. That British document gave life to the principle of due process, and our own Bill of Rights owes it some parental respect.

Here's the relevant passage, according to Britannica:

No free man shall be arrested or imprisoned or disseised or outlawed or exiled or in any way victimised, neither will we attack him or send anyone to attack him, except by the lawful judgment of his peers or by the law of the land.

Meanwhile, be sure to check out this excellent piece at Ammo.com titled Magna Carta Day: The Forgotten History of Magna Carta Day and What It Commemorates.

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3:09 PM 6/14/2021

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Let's celebrate Magna Carta day -- 6-15-2020 -- while we still can

While vandals deface statues that symbolize U.S. history, let's continue to celebrate the British Magna Carta while we still can.

The Magna Carta dates back to June 15, 1215, when King John acquiesced to demands for liberties that had not previously been granted to civilians. Chief among the principles established by this doctrine was that the king was subject to the rule of law and that the king's subjects had a right to due process.

Those bent on destroying our statues could latch onto the phrase "free men" in the original document in order to disparage it. But our Bill of Rights evolved from that ancient document. And the statue destroyers might come to appreciate any due process they get when held accountable for their actions.

Meanwhile, thanks, U.K!

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1:09 PM 6/14/2020

Happy Magna Carta day 6-15-2019

On this day in 1215 a bunch of British barons persuaded King John to give them what they wanted -- an agreement to protect their property rights.

But there was more to it than that. The agreement also provided that the law would apply equally to everyone. Furthermore, anyone accused of a crime was entitled to due process. The founding fathers of the U.S. incorporated those principles into the bill of rights to our constitution. And those concepts endure today

So Happy Magna Carta Day!

P.S. There will always be people who will try to thwart those rights. It behooves us to stay vigilant.

P.P.S. I typically toast a shot of English gin to the Magna Carta each year at this time. So I'll be doing that later on.

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1:45 PM 6/14/2019

Happy Magna Carta Day 2018

June 15 is an important day in history -- Magna Carta Day. The Magna Carta was the document that gets credited with establishing the rule of law, as opposed to the rule of whomever is in power. Here's what history.com says about it:

The charter consisted of a preamble and 63 clauses and dealt mainly with feudal concerns that had little impact outside 13th century England. However, the document was remarkable in that it implied there were laws the king was bound to observe, thus precluding any future claim to absolutism by the English monarch. Of greatest interest to later generations was clause 39, which stated that “no free man shall be arrested or imprisoned or disseised [dispossessed] or outlawed or exiled or in any way victimised…except by the lawful judgment of his peers or by the law of the land.” This clause has been celebrated as an early guarantee of trial by jury and of habeas corpus and inspired England’s Petition of Right (1628) and the Habeas Corpus Act (1679).

I'll be toasting a shot of gin imported from England this evening in honor of the day, and I hope you'll celebrate in your own way.

A variation of this post has appeared previously at this blog.
See Happy Magna Carta Day 2016; and
Happy Magna Carta Day 2017.

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1:55 PM 6/14/2018

Happy Constitution Day

With all the effort currently devoted to abolishing our Constitutional rights, it's high time we celebrated Constitution Dayon September 18, 2017. Actually, it should be observed on September 17, but no, it will be Monday, September 18. Whenever. It doesn't matter that much.

But it is important that we acknowledge where our freedoms come from and hope we can keep them alive. With that in mind, it might be useful to note the survey results in The scariest stat you'll see all day. Spoiler alert!

In a poll conducted for the Annenberg Public Policy Center ahead of this weekend’s celebration of the 229th anniversary of the ratification of the Constitution, only 26 percent of respondents could identify the executive, legislative and judicial branches, while 40 percent could name only one or two.

The threats we face right here at home are as challenging as those from abroad. Staying free in this environment will be a real test of faith in the Constitution and our founding fathers.

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2:19 PM 9/15/2017

Happy Magna Carta Day 2017

June 15 is an important day in history -- Magna Carta Day. The Magna Carta was the document that gets credited with establishing the rule of law, as opposed to the rule of whomever is in power. Here's what history.com says about it:

The charter consisted of a preamble and 63 clauses and dealt mainly with feudal concerns that had little impact outside 13th century England. However, the document was remarkable in that it implied there were laws the king was bound to observe, thus precluding any future claim to absolutism by the English monarch. Of greatest interest to later generations was clause 39, which stated that “no free man shall be arrested or imprisoned or disseised [dispossessed] or outlawed or exiled or in any way victimised…except by the lawful judgment of his peers or by the law of the land.” This clause has been celebrated as an early guarantee of trial by jury and of habeas corpus and inspired England’s Petition of Right (1628) and the Habeas Corpus Act (1679).

I'll be toasting a shot of gin this evening in honor of the day, and I hope you'll celebrate in your own way. BTW, that imported bottle of gin cost a dollar more this year than last year. So much for the Brexit effect, at least at the liquor store.

Previously at this blog: Happy Magna Carta Day 2016.

Happy Bill of Rights day -- December 15

If you know that the 1st ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution are called the Bill of Rights, you would have scored that question correctly on the naturalization test for citizenship.

The Bill of Rights became a part of the U.S. Constitution on December 15, 1791, and President FDR proclaimed 12/15/1941 to be Bill of Rights Day. It stuck, although today there probably aren't that many people who celebrate it.

I plan to. For starters, I'll take a swig from a fifth, then plead the 5th. HA!

For anyone needing a refresher, read the entire Constitution, including the amendments, here.

British Independence Day -- Congratulations Brothers and Sisters

Those of us whose ancestors migrated from Britain feel a connection, however remote it is now. So when Brits shake off the shackles of the EU we remember our own history of how the colonies broke off from Britain to declare our own independence. The state of Texas has its own history of declaring independence from an oppressive regime. When the present day Brits declare their independence, we say "Right on!"

All the best to you, bros.

And to think, it was only last week ago we celebrated Magna Carta Day!

Happy Magna Carta Day

Today, June 15, is the birthday of the Magna Carta. Originally called Articles of the Barons, it was signed by King John on that day in 1215 to settle a dispute he was having with those Barons. And the Magna Carta became an historic document -- one of the most famous documents in the world.

The part that has endured multiple iterations is the following:

No free man shall be seized or imprisoned, or stripped of his rights or possessions, or outlawed or exiled, or deprived of his standing in any other way, nor will we proceed with force against him, or send others to do so, except by the lawful judgement of his equals or by the law of the land.

To no one will we sell, to no one deny or delay right or justice.

While the language might not spell it out as precisely as we would have liked, it has been interpreted to mean such things as the right to individual liberty and to trial by jury.

Let's all raise a glass of gin in honor of Magna Carta Day. What the heck, World Gin Day was just last week, so drink the whole bottle.

P.S. Anyone educated in the public school system in the last few years probably didn't get taught about this. And if they did, they probably shut their school down because of the reference to "free man." But another bit of ignored history: it was the "free man" who ultimately outlawed slavery.

Is Hillary Clinton above the law? The U.S. needs its own Magna Carta

Magna Carta Day is still four and a half months away, but it might not be too early to start shopping for a pint of celebratory ale to avoid the rush. Just kidding about the rush. But events of the day could easily drive a person to drink.

The more we learn about Hillary Clinton's emails the more frightening it becomes. Apparently, the highly secret information put into her easily hacked private system were too damaging to national security to release under any circumstances. What ever it was, our enemies have long since purloined it, digested it, and adapted their own strategic plans accordingly.

The question on many of our minds now is whether the Department of Justice will do anything to punish Hillary Clinton. Or is she really too big to jail? This brings us to the Magna Carta.

Way back in the year 1215 a bunch of British barons revolted against King John. The outcome was the signing of the Magna Carta on June 15 of that year. And the enduring principle to emerge from that historic document was that no one was above the law. That principle has been carried forth to most democracies, and especially the United States.

But this time is different. If Hillary Clinton really is too big to jail, then it might be time for another Magna Carta event.